In a major victory for President Trump, Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to pay the president $16 million to settle a lawsuit over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris, which President Trump said was an attempt to interfere with the 2024 election.
For background, on July 2, 2025, Paramount announced that it was paying an eight-figure sum to President Trump to resolve a lawsuit that the president filed in fall 2024. However, the broadcasting titan stated that its settlement did not indicate “apology or regret.” Moreover, as part of the settlement agreement, Paramount is obligated to change its editorial process after the president accused the company of doctoring a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris.
According to coverage from CNN, an anonymous CBS News staffer described the settlement as “a very sad moment for ’60 Minutes,'” adding that there was “a slight sense of relief that we can start to put this behind us.” Furthermore, CNN reported that Paramount stated that its settlement “does not include a statement of apology or regret.”
On the other hand, a spokesperson for President Trump’s legal team described the deal as a landmark victory for the president, saying, “With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit.”
Following the announcement of the settlement, press advocacy groups were predictably outraged, with the Freedom of the Press Foundation describing Paramount’s decision to settle as “spineless.” in a statement, the organization wrote that the settlement “is an insult to the First Amendment and to the journalists and viewers of ’60 Minutes.'”
Likewise, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), one of President Trump’s most outspoken critics, raged about the settlement in an X post, writing, “This looks like bribery in plain sight. Paramount folded at the same time it needs Trump’s approval for a billion-dollar merger.” She added, “I’m calling for an investigation into whether any anti-bribery laws were broken, and I’m working on a new bill to rein in this kind of corruption.”
In addition, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez also decried the lawsuit in a statement, saying, “Instead of standing on principle, Paramount opted for a payout. That decision now casts a long shadow over the integrity of the transaction pending before the FCC.” She added, “I once again urge the FCC to bring this matter before the full Commission for a vote.”
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Furthermore, Gomez said that the settlement marked “a dangerous precedent for the First Amendment,” adding, “The transcript and video of the 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Harris show no evidence of wrongdoing, only the standard editorial judgments to ensure clarity and brevity. ”
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